


Persuasion

by smaragdbird



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Multi, Mutual Pining, failed matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5465882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint's plans aren't aren't necessarily brilliant but usually they're interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Persuasion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cpwatcher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cpwatcher/gifts).



> Thanks to Bethan for the speedy beta-reading. All remaining mistakes are mine.

“So“, Clint said as he came into Phil’s office unannounced. “I have a plan.”

Phil raised his eyebrows. Clint’s plans ranged from playing a prank on the junior agents to dismantling criminal organisations, so this should be interesting. Fine, the last one had only happened once so far but it had been spectacular. “About anything specific?”

“Fury and Tasha.” Clint plopped down on the couch as he always did. “We should set them up.”

“Why do you want to set up my ex and yours?” Phil asked. He had some suspicions regarding them anyway but he told himself that Nick would tell him if and when he wanted him to know.

“Hang on”, Clint sat up. “Fury’s your ex? When? Why? And how the hell did you find the courage to dump him? Maybe the junior agents are right and you are a robot?”

Phil sighed. He should’ve known better than to mention it to Clint. “Not that this is any of your business, but it was more a mutual realization that we worked better as friends, just like you and Natasha.”

“Is that why you joined Shield? Because Fury seduced you as soon as you were legal?”

“No”, Phil pinched the bridge of his nose. “And again, why do you think setting up Nick and Natasha would be a good idea?”

“Cause I want her to be happy”, Clint said as if that should be obvious.

“That’s half a reason”, Phil replied dryly. 

“Fury made her laugh the other day. And Tasha trusts him, as far as she trusts anyone. She even calls him Nick.”

Phil tilted his head as he conceded the last point Clint had made. The number of people calling Fury by his first name were in the single digits, family and Tony Stark included. “Tell me your plan.”

/

Going over Clint’s plan or rather plans had taken nearly the whole afternoon. At least Phil knew now that it was Clint who watched all those romantic comedies on Phil’s Netflix account. He had vetoed Clint’s wackier ideas and in the end they had agreed to take Nick and Natasha out this evening, separately, only to “accidentally” run into each other at the bar. He was looking forward to it. He and Clint didn’t spend that much time together outside work, mostly because neither of them took that much downtime anyway. 

It was Phil who picked the bar. He and Nick had been here before, the beer was decent and the music not too loud to be able to talk.

To his surprise Nick didn’t even protest that much when Phil asked him. It had been a slow week with no new crisis that needs Nick’s attention and so it was easy to convince him to take a night off.

He texted Clint the address while Nick went to get his coat.

“Oh, hey”, Clint grinned when he found Phil and Fury. “Come here often?” he gave Phil an exaggerated wink just to make him smile. Or rather hide his face in his palm but Clint knew he was smiling anyway. He sat down next to him so that Natasha had to sit next to Fury.

“If you’re staying, you should get us some drinks”, Fury said.

“No”, Clint said when Natasha moved to get up. “Phil and I will get the drinks.”

“That was pretty transparent, even for you” Phil said under his breath while they were making their way to the bar.

Clint shrugged. “As long as it works.” He looked back at Nick and Natasha who were talking, Natasha was even smiling at something Nick told her.

/

“Do you think they’ll ever realize that their pining isn’t an unrequited as they believe?” Natasha asked as soon as Phil and Clint were out of hearing range. 

“They’re trying to set us up so I’d say they’re pretty damn oblivious”, Nick replied. “I’m pretty disappointed Phil didn’t try anything more subtle. This plan has Barton written all over it.” 

Natasha leaned over and whispered into Nick’s ear. “Just play along.” 

“Did you see that?” Clint tried to point at Natasha and Fury without making it obvious that he was pointing at them. 

“It’s hardly the first time they’ve done this”, Phil replied. “You know how tactile Natasha is with the people she trusts.” It was less that Natasha touched people but that she let people touch her. Those who had tried it without her permission or her trust had more often than not ended up in the hospital wing.

They both watched as Natasha linked her arm with Nick’s and leaned against him. 

Phil raised an eyebrow and turned to Clint. “Did you ever think that maybe they already were together?”

“I…no? How was I supposed to know? And why didn’t Tasha tell me?”

Phil shrugged. “Nick didn’t tell me either.”

“Would he? Usually, I mean.” Clint asked. The idea of Fury and Phil together was pretty fascinating. He had known they were close but that they had been together…He wondered what that had been like. What Phil had been like.

“I usually don’t notice if he doesn’t tell me”, Phil said, pointedly looking at Natasha and Nick who were almost cuddling. If they wanted to make a point, they were making it loud and clear.

“Mission accomplished, I guess”, Clint said. “What are we going to do with the rest of the night?” He had been looking forward to this, not just attempting to get Natasha and Fury together, but hanging out with Phil outside of work.

“You don’t need to spend the rest of the night here with me”, Phil said. “There’s probably plenty of people here who’d dance with you.”

“I don’t…I mean…do you dance?” Clint asked.

“I do.”

Clint grinned and held out his hand. “Let’s do it then.”

Back at their table Nick rolled his eyes. “Finally. I was about to leak their mutual crush to Stark.”

“You’re a vicious man”, Natasha said and kissed him. “I knew there was a reason I like you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I shipped Natasha/fury since Ironman 2, hence the failed matchmaking.
> 
> Hope you liked it :)


End file.
